’I don’t question my children’s Jewishness’

Which aspects of Judaism will be passed on to their children was a question that affected all those whom we interviewed. Hélène and Alain Nahum, for example, have spent more time at political meetings than in synagogues. Their son Samuel recently had his bar mitzvah, the equivalent of a confirmation or first communion for Christians.

According to Hélène, the daughter of a Greek family, most of whom perished at Auschwitz, “We’re all Marranos (1). To defend ourselves from globalisation we must preserve our sense of identity in our relations with others. I can personally relate to the phenomena of displacement and exile. I always feel distant from a farmer who’s rooted to his land and feel closer to one who finds himself uprooted.”

Her husband, Alain, is from a family of Egyptian Jews steeped in communism and the French Revolution. He defines himself as a “wandering Jew, perhaps even an heirless one”. Though he understands and respects his son’s quest for religious and cultural identity, he sees it as reflecting “his need to rebel against his parents”. Samuel sees his faith in relative terms: he expresses pro-Israel sentiments although he is unwilling to go to fight for the country. He mentions hearing young Arabs make insulting anti-semitic remarks. “I feel as though I’ve inherited the history of the Shoah and the Jews of Egypt,” he says. “Even though I’m not observant, I still believe it’s important to hand down values and not become assimilated like some of my friends.” Alain feels positive: "I’m happy that my (...)